The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1887-08-20
PAWN-TICKET FAKIRS.
A Lesson Learned By Citizen of
Brooklyn.
How the Thing Is Done-The Hungry
Young Man and the Cooperative
Broker-Twenty Dollars ON
Two-Dollar Watch.

A long face, a poor mouth and suit
of respectfully shabby clothes, with a
voice trained down to an empty stom-
ach whihe are about all the capital re-
quired-plus unlimited gall-by the
modern street brigand, the pawn
ticket fakir. He is generally in part
nership with pawnbrokers of shady
neutrality-suspicious. who are not
exactly receivers of stolen goods,
but whose keen mercantile instinct
leads them to advance trifing sum of
money on a valuable Jewel handed over
the counter by a tramp. They are all
honorable men, of course. because they
are seldom found out. But the ticket
fakir has little to do with valuable
jewels or property unless his fingers
happen to stray against them acct
dentally. While this is true as gem
eral thing, there are exceptions. The
fakir who does the broken-down sport
act very often carries pawn tickets rep
rcsenting his equity in alleged dia-
monds and other valuables supposed
to have been hypothecated during one
of those periods when the silver lining
was turned the wrong side up. 1t may
be taken as a rule, however, that the
fakir' pawn tickets are regulated &C
cording to his apparent station.
A young fellow, tall, white-faced
and looking miserably attenuated. his
clothes quite shabby and buttoned un
close about the neck, has been work
ing Fulton street late o. nights for
some weeks, presumably changing his
office location quite frequently. At
almost midnight he accosted a gentle
man near Pierrepont street, with the
conventional whine:
Excuse me, sir. Just a minute,
please. Could you oblige me with a
few pennies to help me get meal?'
whats the matter, out of work?'
queried the pedestrian, who was Just
returning from lodge and was a little
mellow. AS he holds public position
he feels very solicitous that his name
should be suppressed.
Finding his victim in talkative
mood, tho fakir drops the whine and
adopts confidential tone.
well, it's partly that; but the truth
is I've been on the lose for week or
two and I've had to pawn my clothes
and watch and borrow these rags I've
got on. live at Newark, and l haven't
got the face to go back looking like
this. I've written to friend for some
money, and guess I'll get it in a day
or two. But must go hungry and
walk the streets in the meantime"
But the victim had frozen up, and,
growing suspicious, was pushing by
with curt: Il haven't got anything"
when the fakir planked down his little
joker and took the trick.
'Look here. boss, I'm no beggar. l
only want enough to get a bed and
meals till my money arrives. A couple
of dollars IL do. Here's the pawn ticket
of my watch. l only borrowed twenty
dollars on it, because l didn't expect to
go broke. The watch cost my father
OhO huhuiOi tHu hlOy uOlltIS WHcll ne
bought it for me. wouldn't part with
it for five hundred dollars. If you'll
lend me two or three dollars till 1 get
my money I'll leave my ticket with you
as security. l don't like to insult you
by offering to pay for kindness, but if
adollar or two's an object, I'll pay it
with pleasure for the accommodation. "
The gentleman took the ticket, looked
at it casually and then drew out small
bundle of greenbacks. The fakir saw
that he had succeeded, and added, with
a tinge of simulated anxiety in his
voice.
81 suppose you won't object to telling
me where | can find you, sirP"
He didn't object and he handed the
fellow three dollars, cutting short his
profuse thanks by jumping on car.
A week elapsed and the unfortunate
young man did not seem to have re-
ceivcd his money from Newark. for he
failed to redeem that ticket which rep
resented watch he would not sell for
five hundred dollars. The victim then
started to New York and called at the